Triumphrat

paulie · 05-27-2005

I thought I'd start a new thread since Jim's original post on fitting the Hagon to the 2003 seems to have gone missing.

Before we get to fitting, I'm wondering about how to order. I've been talking to the US rep. who is telling me that I may need to uprate the springs. He is going to check the Hagon database for my weight (240#), plus very occasional pillion (125#), plus occasional luggage (50#), plus a bit of fib factor, in other words, the maximum load would be about 425#. 95% of my riding will be solo without luggage and so at the much lower weight.

I'm curious how many of you that have Hagon got the uprated springs, and if so, what riding/load conditions you stipulated when you ordered.

Also, if you got stronger springs, has it caused any problem when riding with less or no load (solo, no luggage).

I'm going to get the remote preload adjuster.

:???:

BigStripey · 05-27-2005

Paulie,

I have found a previous e-mail that i sent that contains all the gumf, hope it helps?

1) Secure the bike with the front wheel off the deck (Centre stand and the back weighted/strapped down?)

2) Remove both parts of the front mudguard and the hose clamp 'p' bracket.

3) Undo the front brake calipers and swing them up out of the way. (I tie them up with zip ties to my crash bars)

4) Undo the front wheel spindle nuts and 'carefully' withdraw the spindle (Best to chock the front wheel while you do this)

5) Gently roll out the front wheel taking care to catch the speedo hub on the left hand side of the wheel as the wheel clears the forks. Tie that up safely out of the way

6) At this point slacken, but don't undo the cap on top of the fork tube (Make sure the socket is nice and clean because the alloy caps mark up easily)

7) *Do one fork leg at a time from here on* Slacken off the four hex headed bolts on the fork clamps and the fork leg should slide out. It may need a gentle twist but take your time and make sure the bolts are slackened right off.

8) Holding the fork leg upright, remove the alloy cap completely (keeping pressure on the socket until it is completely undone because there is a spring behind it!)

9) There will be a tubular steel spacer inside the tube, remove that and then slowly....withdraw the fork spring otherwise fork oil goes everywhere

10) Invert the fork leg and hold it over an oil tray and pour out the old fork oil. When it seems like it has all come out, 'pump' the fork leg several times. It wil belch and slurp while you do this but it clears out all of the old oil.

11) Install the new spring and spacer, then refill the fork with the required amount of oil. Your fork spring supplier will probably quote you a volume of oil to put in, or quote an 'air gap'. This is the distance from the surface of the oil in the tube to the top of the fork tube itself.
*They should also supply the fork oil, most suppliers do?. If not 15w fork oil would be best for those springs.

12) When you are happy with the levels, refit the cap and re-install the fork leg in the reverse order of above. Using the correct torque settings when tightening everything up.

13) Then do exactly the same with the other leg

It sounds a lot more than it actually is, just take your time and it's a piece of cake really.

There is NO need to change the fork seals unless they are already damaged.

Now for the rear spring……

This is a little more complex, but easily achievable if you take it steady and go bit by bit.

1) Put the bike on the centre stand, or paddock stand. You want the back wheel to ‘just’ touch the ground, so play around until you get this about right.

2) Remove the exhaust end can.

3) Undo the bolts that secure the oil cooler and radiator, so that the hoses are all that are holding them on. (you may need to rest the oil cooler on something)

4) You can now ease the radiator out of the way by lifting the bottom out. This will give you access to the exhaust manifold bolts. Undo them but don’t remove them, slacken them right off so only a few turns hold them on.

5) Remove the saddles and then undo the preload adjuster by removing the two bolts that hold the mounting plate on

6) Remove the black rubber bungs that cover the bolt hole for the shock absorber pivot bolt on the swingarm.

7) Now comes the tricky bit……You need to raise the back of the bike BUT NOT the swingarm. So you need to jack up the back of the bike via the rear subframe, or the rear footrest hangers. You need to raise the back until the swingarm just starts to lift. But not so that the rear wheel comes off the ground. You need to find this ‘Neutral’ point of balance before you undo the pivot bolt.

8) Now undo the pivot bolt nut. You will have to wiggle the exhaust forward on the manifold studs until it clears the right hand side pivot bolt access. Be patient and you will see when you have got it right.

9) With a drift about the same diameter as the bolt, you need to drive the pivot bolt out carefully. Draw it right out.

10) Where the pivot bolt goes through the bottom of the shock absorber, there are a load of needle roller bearings, so put a piece of rag underneath to catch them when they fall out (which they will!) You don’t need them on the Hagon because it has got a sealed bearing bush, but keep the needles safe somewhere just in case.

11) With the bolt withdrawn, the bottom of the old shock absorber is now free, so you can move up to the top mounting bolt.

12) Undo the nut and draw out the top mount bolt. You should now be able to withdraw the shock absorber up through the space where the preload adjuster was.

13) Clean and grease the pivot bolt ready to re-install.

14) Fitting the Hagon is exactly the reverse of the above, except you don’t have to do the needle bearings as I mentioned above.

15) Mounting the remote preload adjuster is a matter for personal choice really, I’ll leave that one for you to decide.

16) When you have it fitted, give me a call, and I’ll talk to you about setting the shock up to your own settings.

I weigh 215lbs and regularly travel loaded up with luggage, and i carry a pillion from time to time and have found the suspension to be perfect, no bottoming out etc. Just dial up the preload a couple of turns when loaded up and all is well!

Hope this helps?

Jim

paulie · 05-27-2005

Thanks, Jim,

I saw this but didn't read to the end so didn't realize you covered the rear spring as well.

Do you have an uprated spring, or the stock one?

Paul

kweller · 05-28-2005

Quote:

On 2005-05-27 15:43, BigStripey wrote:
Paulie,

I have found a previous e-mail that i sent that contains all the gumf, hope it helps?

1) Secure the bike with the front wheel off the deck (Centre stand and the back weighted/strapped down?)

...and so on

Having read that lot I'm really glad I got Robinsons of Canterbury to do mine particularly as Hagon sent the wrong rear shock initially.

Kevin

paulie · 05-31-2005

Here is the information I got back from the US Hagon distributor:

Quote:
__________________________________

We've heard from Hagons regarding the shock for your bike, and they cannot supply an uprated shock for the bike. The spring is too heavy on the stock unit and a heavier spring will coil bind under load. They recommend a maximum load on the stock shock of 350 lbs- loading above that figure will risk failure of the shock.

So: given the loading you've supplied we can't recommend the Hagon unit if you plan on two up riding at all.

You did say that 95% of your riding is solo- the shock will be fine for you solo and with your 50 lbs of luggage.
______________________________________

Is this a real concern, or is it lawyerspeak? What happens if the shock "fails". I assume that means the seals go and the fluid comes out. Is there something worse that can happen?

What say all of you Hagon fans?

:???:

djr · 06-01-2005

I would say that if they say its not suited find an alternative.

Plenty of other good manufacturers available such as White Power, Ohlins etc etc.

Irrespective of what shock failure could mean what is obvious is that Hagon do not do a fitment that suits your needs.

djr · 06-01-2005

I would say that if they say its not suited find an alternative.

Plenty of other good manufacturers available such as White Power, Ohlins etc etc.

Irrespective of what shock failure could mean what is obvious is that Hagon do not do a fitment that suits your needs.